Strip feeding and severing mechanism.



E. M. HAWKlNS & c. R. SEYMOUR.

STRIP FEEDING AND SEVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION men NOV. '6. 1915.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917;

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STRIP FEEDING AND SEVERING MECHANISM.

APPLlCATlGN FILED NOV. 6,1915.

- Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

1 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1915.

E. M. HAWKINS & c. R. SEYMOUR. STRIP FEEDING AND SEVERING MECHANISM.

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STRIP FEEDING AND SEVERING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1915.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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E. M. HAWKINS-8L c.-II. SEYMOUR.

STRIP FEEDING AND SEVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. a. ma.

1 ,224, 1 07. Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

E M. HAWKINS &'C. R. SEYMOUR.

STRIP FEEDING AND SEVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 6, 1915.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

r SHE'ETSSHEET 6 w wnom-Lm-m. WASNIN E. M, HAWKINS & c. R. SEYMOUR.

STRIP FEEDING AND SEVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 5. I915.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR M. HAWKINS AND CHARLES R. SEYMOUR, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGN- OBS TO M. D. KNOWLTON COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

Original application filed January 7, 1913, Serial No. 740,601. Divided and this application filed November 6, 1915. Serial No. 60,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR M. HAWKINs and CHARLES R. SEYMOUR, citizens of the United States, and residents of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Strip Feeding and Severing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feeding and severing mechanism for stay-applying and like machines, and is a division of our application, on which Letters Patent, No. 1,171,943 was granted February 15, 1916. The present application relates particularly to the strlp feeding and cutting mechanism disclosed, but not specifically claimed, in our aforesaid patent. This strip feeding and cutting mechanism is especially adapted for use in stayapplying machines of the type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,057,096, issued March 25, 1913, which are used for applying fastening stays in fiat form to the joints of corrugated or other paperboard cartons in the manufacture of the latter.

The principal object of our invention is to simplify and otherwise improve the construction and operation of the strip feeding and cutting mechanism of the machine of the aforesaid patent in a way to render said machine more efiicient for use under varying kinds and conditions of work.

The machine disclosed in the aforesaid patent as also the machine of the present application, comprises the following main instrumentalities, to wit, means for feeding a continuous stay-strip to the machine from a reel or other source of supply, means for severing said strip into stays of desired lengths, a work-support, and means'for conveying the severed stays to the cartons or other work on said support and applying the same thereto; In the prior machine, however, the feeding means for the continuous stay-strip comprises a reciprocating device having a pair of jaws which are operative to grip and feed the stay-strip upon the forward movement of the device and to release and move freely of the stay-strip upon the backward or return movement of the device. The feeding movement imparted to the stay strip by this device is a fixed one and the length of stay so provided is that measured 7 the by the distance in' advance of the severing means through which the strip is fed. In order to provide an increased feeding movement" of the strip over that provided by the action of this reciprocating feed device, whereby to provide a greater length of stay, the conveying means is operated as a supple mental feed device. It has been found in practice, however, that it is preferable to omit the said conveying means as a part of strip feeding means and to provide a feeding means independent of said conveying means that will be capable of adjustment to feed any desired length of stay. Such a feeding means, in a preferred form of our invention as here disclosed, comprises a pair of cooperating feed belts having a feeding movement that is adjustable to feed a desired length of strip to the machine, in combination with severing means located and operative between the adjacent strip-engaging belt runs and which severing means is adjustable in position lengthwise of said runs to sever the continuous strip into stays of a length substantially corresponding to the feeding movement of the belts.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use our invention. we will now proceed to describe the same in connection with the accompanying drawings which show only so much of a stay-applying machine as is necessary for the illustration of our present invention; the machine as a whole being illustrated and described in our aforesaid Patent No. 1,171,949, to which reference'may be had for such details as are not disclosed herein. In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front end elevation of the machine embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the upper part of the machine taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the mech anism shown at the upper left-hand portion of Fig. 2, comprising certain cooperating parts of the stay-strip feeding, severing, conveying and applying means, and illustrates the movable cutter of the severing means in its lowered or strip-cutting position.

Fig. 4: is a view of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, but still further enlarged,

and illustrates the movable cutter of the severing mechanism in its raised or inoperative position.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through that part of the machine shown in Fig. 4, the section being taken on line 55 of said figure, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrates the adjustable sliding connection of the severing means with its supporting frame.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig.5 and illustrates said severing mechanism in top plan.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section of the machine taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating certain of the actuating mechanism for the stay-strip feeding, severing, conveying and applying devices.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 1, and illustrates the means for imparting an adjustable feeding movement to the feed belts.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional detail, the

' section being taken on the line 99 of Fig.

8, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrates the operative connections between the upper and lower sets of pressure rollers and also the means for yieldingly maintaining those sets of rollers in operative relation.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts on the several figures, and for convenience of reference, the same numerals have been used on the drawings of the present case as are used on the drawings of the original case to indicate like parts.

The frame for supporting the operative parts of the machine may be of any desired construction suitable for the purpose. In the present case it comprises a main or subframe, including two vertical end standards 2, 2, connected by suitable cross-braces 3, 3, and an intermediate vertical standard 4 supported on said cross-braces and connected with the end standards by suitable tierods, and a secondary or super-frame 46 adjustably mounted on said main frame.

The main power transmission mechanism is located at the left-hand end of the ma chine mostly between the standards 2 and 4 of the main frame; the table or work support and the work feeding and pressing rolls are located at the right-hand end of the machine, mostly between the standards 4 and 2; and the stay-strip feeding, cutting, conveying and applying devices are located at the right-hand end of the machine and in position above the said work-support.

J ournaled in suitable hearings in the main frame at the left-hand end thereof is a driving shaft 8 adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power and having may be operated by a hand lever 12, through suitable connections.

The shaft 8, which is continuously driven, has a pinion 15 thereon engaging a spur gear 16 through an intermediate pinion 15 to impart a continuous movement thereto, which said spur-gear is keyed to a sleeve 17 loosely mounted on a shaft 18 from which the several operative parts of the machine are adapted to be operated and which said sleeve 17 is adapted to be clutched to or released from said shaft, for controlling the starting or stopping of the machine by a suitable clutch device, one suitable form of which is disclosed in detail in our aforesaid Patent No. 1,171,949.

The several operative parts of the ma chine, other than the feed and presser rolls for acting on the work subsequent to the application of the stays thereto, are driven from the clutch controlled shaft 18. A shaft 39., driven from said shaft 18 through gearing 3334 (see Fig. 7), has fixed thereto a series of actuating devices for imparting the desired movements to the stay-strip feeding, cutting, conveying and applying mechanisms through suitable transmission devices, which latter will hereinafter be described in connection with the description of said actuated mechanisms.

Secured to the upper ends of the standards 4 and 2"of the main frame is a bedplate 6 on which is mounted a-saddleplate 41 carrying the secondary or super-frame 46 to which are connected the main elements of the stay-strip feeding, cutting, conveying, and applying mechanisms. This saddleplate 41 has a sliding clove-tail connection with the bed-plate 6 (see Fig. 2) in a manner. whereby it may be laterally adjustable with its said connected parts relatively to the table or work-support of the machine, indicated at 42. As a convenient means for effecting the lateral adjustment of said saddle-plate, a screw-threaded adjusting rod 43, (see Fig. 1) having an operating handle 44, is supported in an endwise stationary position by brackets 7, 7, on the supporting frame and engages with a lug 45 in fixed relation with the saddle-plate. By turning this rod in the proper direction, there will be imparted to the engaged saddle-plate and connected parts a desired lateral adjustment according to the point at which it may be desired to apply the stays on the cartons or other work located on the work-support.

The super-frame 46 has a generally elongated form as shown in Fig. 2. Mounted on this frame at the top thereof is a reel 47 for carrying the continuous stay-strip 48. From this reel 47 the stay-strip is guided over a guide-roll 49 to the feeding device, which latter is here shown as comprising a pair of endless belts 50, 50, supported by suitably arranged guide rollers with their adjacent strip-engaging runs extending from a point adjacent the rear of the machine where they receive the stay-strip to a point adjacent the front of the machine where they deliver the strip to the stay conveying and applying means. Suitable belt-tighteners, as indicated generally at 51, 51, serve as a means to maintain the belts under proper tension. At their rear ends the belts pass between two sets of rollers, indicated at 52 and 53, which cotiperate to yieldingly hold the belts in close relation to each other at such point whereby to assure a firm gripping of the strip by the belts and a consequent positive feeding of the same. Such yielding coiiperation. of the two sets of rollers may be eflected in any desired manner but as here shown is effected by mounting the upper set of rollers 52 in vertically adjustable springpressed journal boxes 54 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 10.

The rollers 52 and 53'also serve as the direct means for imparting feeding movement to the feed belts, the same being suitably geared together for movement in the proper direction, and one having a driving pinion 55, as most clearly shown in Fig. 10, which is operated to impart the desired movement to the feed belts by the following means: A crank 56 on one side of the gear wheel 34 (see Fig. 8) and having a constant uniform rotation imparted thereto by said wheel, engages a pivoted lever 57 within an elongated slot 58 therein and imparts a vibrating movement thereto, which lever in turn imparts a reciprocating movement to a rack 59 through a connecting link 60. This reciprocating rack 59, which is supported and guided in its movements by a tubular bracket 61, imparts an oscillating movement to an engaging gear 62, and the latter, acting through a ratchet 63 and pawls 64, imparts an intermittent movement of rotation to a gear 65, which intermittent movement is imparted to the feed belts from said gear 65 through suitable. operative connections, here shown as comprising a gear 66, a shaft 67 on which said gear 66 is fixed, and a gear 68 splined to said shaft 67 and meshing with the driving pinion 55 of the belt driving rollers (Fig. 10) hereinbefore referred to. With this described actuating mechanism, the con nections between the rack 59 and the feed belts are operative on one stroke of the rack to impart feeding movement to the belts and are idle on the return stroke of the rack whereby the belts will remain stationary, in this way obtaining the desired intermittent movement of the feed belts.

As a means to vary the feeding movement of the feed belts and thereby the length of stay-strip fedto the machine by them, the driving crank 56 is supported in a radially adjustable position on the gear wheel 34 whereby its throw may be varied and the extent of movement of the belt actuating means driven thereby be regulated accordingly. As a simple and convenient means for accurately adjusting the position of said crank, the latter is connected to a block 69, which is slidably mounted in a guide-way 7 6 on the gear wheel and adjusted by an endwise-stationary adjusting screw 71 engaging therewith, as shown in Fig. 8.

The feed belts, as hereinbefore stated, are operative at each feeding movement of them to feed the continuous stay-strip forward to a position to be acted upon by the stay-strip cutting and conveying devices, the cutting device being operative to sever a desired length of stay from said continuous strip and the conveying device being operative to engage the severed stay and convey the same to the carton or other work to which it is to be applied.

The said cutting device, which is located between the adjacent runs of the feed belts, is here shown (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6) as comprising a stationary cutter 72, formed at the lower edge of an opening 73 in a plate 74 attached to a bracket-arm 75 of a slide frame or carriage 76, anda cotiperating reciprocatory cutter 77, shown in the present case as being yieldingly held against the plate 74 of the stationary cutter by a suitably supported spring 78 whereby wear of the parts caused by their frictional engagement will be automatically taken up. To provide space between the adjacent belt runs for the location of the cutting device therebetween, a series of guide rollers are provided which are arranged to direct a short length of the upper belt upwardly from the lower belt and over the cutting device located therebetween, in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 4. These guide rollers for the upper belt, indicated at 79, 80, 81 and 82, are journaled on bearing pins which are connected to the cut ter supporting slide frame 76 hereinbefore referred to. This frame 76 c is slidably mounted on the frame 46 within a guide way 83 therein for horizontal adjustment, whereby the position of the cutter may be adjusted lengthwise of the cotiperating belt runs according to the length of stay to be severed fro-m the continuous strip, and the belt guide-rollers 7 9-82 inclusive, being supported by the frame 74 in fixed relation with the cutter device, they obviously will act to maintain the same relation of the belt to 'with the frame 76 serves as a simple and convenient means for adjusting the position of the cutter.

&

Any suitable means may be employed for operating the cutter, the means here shown (see Fig. 7) comprising a cam 85, in the form of a pronounced rise on the periphery of a disk 86 on the cam shaft 32, a vertically arranged rod 87, supported in position to be engaged and elevated by said cam 85 at each revolution of the latter, a rock-shaft 88 having one arm 89 connected to said rod 87 to be operated thereby and having another arm 90 connected through a rod 91 with an arm 92 of a second rockshaft 93, which latter in turn has another arm 94 connected to a slide rod 95 (see Figs. 3 and 4) to which is adjustably connected one end of a bell-crank 96, which is fulcrumed on a pivot on the frame 76 and is formed with two arms 97, 97, (see Fig. 6) which are forked at their ends and loosely engage a horizontally arranged pin 98, connected with a plate 99 secured to the reciprocatory cutter 77 Vith this described actuating mechanism for the cutter, each upward movement of the rod 87 as imparted thereto by the cam 85, imparts a forward movement to the slide rod 95 through the intermediate connections, which movement of said slide rod operates to rock the bell-crank 96 and move the cutter 77 from its normal raised position as shown in Fig. 4, to a lowered cutting position as shown in Fig. 3. A return movement of the cutter 77 and, its actuating mechanism to their normal position following the disengagement of the cam 85 from the rod 87 may be effected by any suitable means, the means here shown comprising a spring 200 on the rod 95 and a spring 201 on the rod 87, the spring in each case expanding between a stationary part and a collar on the rod, as shown.

As a means for supporting the cut end of the continuous strip in a position to be fed over the stationary cutter 72 when advanced by the feed belts subsequent to the action of the cutting device, a pivoted guide 202 is located immediately to the rear of the stationary cutter 72 (see Fig. 4:) which will yield downwardly upon the descent of the movable cutter 77 into engagement therewith, as shown in Fig; 3, and which upon the ascent of the movable cutter will automatically rise under the action of a spring 203 and lift the supported end of the strip to a position above the stationary cutter for further feeding movement.

The stay-strip conveyer, of the machine here shown, in so far as it concerns the present invention, may be of any suitable construction and operation rendering it capable of performing its required functions. In the present machine, as in the machine of the aforesaid patent, said conveyer is in the form of a rotary wheel, indicated at 100, which is supported in such position with respect to the stay-strip feed device and the work-support as to receive at its upper side the stay-strip delivered by said feed device and convey the same to a position at its under side, and there apply it to the carton on said work-support. As the construction and operation of this conveyer forms no part of our present invention, however, we will not describe the same further herein, but refer to our aforesaid PateIfit No. 1,171,949 for a detailed description 0 it.

The operation of the machine as shown and described briefly stated, is as follows:

The crank 56 on the gear wheel 34: is first adjusted to, produce a feeding movement of the feed belts equal to the length of stay required for the work in hand. The cutting deviceis then set in proper position to sever the length of stay provided by the feed belts, and this position is such that the feed belts, irrespective of their length of feeding movement, will always feed the staystrip to a predetermined position in the machine with its front end slightly in advance of the vertical center of the stay wheel. To effect this adjustment of the cutting device, the connection of its lever 96 with the slide rod 95 is first loosened, then the cutter frame or carriage 76 is shifted to bring the cutter to the desired position, which may be accurately fixed by means of suitable gages (not shown), after which the connection between the said lever and slide rod is again tightened. With the machine now 100 properly adjusted it may be set in motion, following which the feed belts will operate to advance the stay-strip to its proper position in the machine; the cutter will sever the strip to provide the required length of stay; and the stay-wheel will then operate to engage the severed stay and apply the same to the carton on the work-support in the manner described in detail in our aforesaid Patent No. 1,171,949.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described and in combination, a pair of cooperating feed belts for engaging with and feeding a continuous strip, and a severing device positioned and operative to transversely sever the strip at a point between the ends of the strip-engaging runs of said belts.

2. In a machine of the character described and in combination, a pair of cocperating feed belts for engaging with and feeding a continuous strip, and a severing device positioned and operative to transversely sever the strip at a point between the ends of the strip-engaging runs of said belts and being adjustable in position lengthwise of said runs.

3. In a machine of the character described and in combination, a pair of coiipcrating feed belts for engaging with and feeding a continuous strip and having an intermittent feeding movement, means for adjusting the feeding movement of ,said belts, and a severing device positioned and operative to transversely sever the strip at a point between the ends of the strip-engaging runs of said belts and being adjustable in position lengthwise of said runs.

5. In a machine of the character described and in combination, strip feeding means comprising a lpair lof cooperating feed belts having an intermittent feeding movement, means for adjusting the feeding movement of said belts, strip severing means operative on the strip at a point between the adjacent runs of said belts, a work support, and a conveyer for conveying the severed pieces of strip to the work on said work support; said severing means being adjustable between the adjacent belt runs in a direction toward and from the conveyer to sever the strip into pieces of a length substantially corresponding to the feeding movement of the feed belts.

6. In a machine of the character de scribed and in combination, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts having an intermittent feeding movement, means for adjusting the-feeding movement of said belts, strip severing means, a work support, and a conveyer for conveying the severed pieces of strip to the work on said work-support; said severing means being adjustable lengthwise of the strip to sever the same into pieces of a length substantially corresponding to the feedingmovement of the feed belts.

7. In a machine of the character described and in combination, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts, strip severing means located and operative at a point between the ends of the strip-engaging runs of said belts, and guiding means separating the adjacent belt runs at one point in the length thereof to provide for the location therebetween of the severing means.

8. In a machine of the character described and in combination, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts, strip severing means located and operative at a point between the ends of the strip-engaging runs of said belts, guiding means separating the adjacent belt runs at one point in the length thereof to provide for the location therebetween of the severing means, and a frame adjustable in a direction lengthwise of the adjacent belt runs and supporting both the said severing means and guiding means.

9. In a machine of the character described and in combination, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts, and a strip severing means located at a point between the ends of the strip-engaging runs of said belts and embodying a reciprocatory cutter operative to transversely sever the strip.

10. In a machine of the character described and in combination, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts having an intermittent feeding movement, strip severing means located between the ends of the strip-engaging runs of said belts and embodying a reciprocatory cutter operative to transversely sever the strip, and a frame adjustable in a direction lengthwise. of the adjacent belt runs and supporting the said severing means.

11. In a machine of the character described and in combination, strip severing means comprising two cotiperating cutters one of which is movable relatively to the other, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts having an intermittent feeding movement for advancing a con tinuous strip between said cutters, and a movable guide engaging the strip at the rear of the cutters and automatically operative to maintain the cut end of the strip in position for advancement between the cutters when the latter are in separated or open position. j

12. In a machine of the character de scribed and in combination, strip severing means comprising two cooperating cutters, one of which is movable relatively to the other, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts having an intermittent feeding movement for advancing a continuous strip between said cutters, and a pivoted spring-actuated guide engaging the strip at the rear of the cutters and automatically operative to maintain the cut end of the strip in position for advancement be tween the cutters when the latter are in separated or open position.

13. In a machine of the character described and in combination, strip severing.

means comprising two cooperating cutters one of which is movable relatively to the other, strip feeding means comprising a pair of cooperating feed belts having an intermittent feeding movement for advancing a con tinuous strip between said cutters, and a movable guide engaging the strip at the rear of the cutters and in the path of the movable cutter and automatically operative to maintain the cut end of the strip in position for advancement between the cutters when the latter'are in separated or open position.

14. In a machine of the character de scribed and in combination, strip severing means comprising two cooperating cutters one of which is movable relatively to the other, strip feeding means for advancing a continuous strip between said cutters and comprising two cooperating intermittently moving feed belts between which said cutters are located, and a movable guide engaging the strip at the rear of the cutters and automatically operative to maintain the cut end ofthe strip inpositionffor advancement between the cutters when the latter are in sepa- 15 rated or open position.

Signed at Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, this 3d day of Nov., A. D. 1915.

' EDGAR M. HAWKINS.

CHASR. SEYMOUR. Witnesses:

F. K. COLLINS, Jr., G110. C. HANNEMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. 0. 

